Although an unprecedentedly long strike by workers from South Korea's largest TV network, MBC, officially ended in mid-July 2012, complaints and anger has yet again resurfaced. The network's infamous leadership has recently fired every single writer [ko] from its signature investigative program, which openly criticizes the current government.

Around 100 broadcast workers rallied against the layoffs on July 30, and 780 fellow television writers from across various stations and shows have signed a petition denouncing the decision and calling for fair journalism free of political motivation.

Strike background

The action started when over 300 producers and journalists at public broadcaster MBC walked out against its leadership's censorship and pressure in publishing certain news contents. The strike continued for 170 days and many shows went on a hiatus as a result.

Amongst the hardest hit was the company's most prestigious investigative program, PD Notebook (PD stands for the producer). The program has been the center of a controversy due to airing many exclusive stories on topics such as the current administration's censorship of citizen, widespread fraud cases involving the Prosecutor's Offices and irrevocable environmental damage caused by the Four Rivers Project (which the government hemorrhaged tremendous amount of taxpayer's money into).

In 2008, the PD Notebook sparked mass rallies against United States beef imports, by airing tremendously influential coverage on the politics and health hazards related to US beef. Its producers and journalists came under fire and faced numerous lawsuits, but earlier this year the courts finally dropped the charges against them.

Since its writers were fired, many speculated that the layoffs were politically motivated. The company's infamous President Kim Jae-chul, has been accused of siding with the country's ruling party and president. MBC union released a statement that read [ko]:

It is so pitiful to watch the leadership's self-harm. So they decided to butcher up their own program which they should be proud of. How much more blood needs to be shed to salvage the company President Kim Jae-chul? This decision is a new low even for them since it is targeting TV writers, the most vulnerable group in the [broadcasting] company employment system.

Union response

Many took the layoffs without solid reasons as an insult [ko] to television writers and their union gathered 778 signatures from fellow writers within four days of the news. More are joining the MBC writers’ cause, and even comedy and soap opera writers have actively started showing moral support.

Lim Kyung-hwa, a talk show writer for SBS – another major network TV station – wrote [ko]:

I really hope every writer from PD Notebook gets their old jobs back, especially Chung Jae-hong who taught me the right world view when I was a little kid [meaning that she has been greatly influenced by the writer]. I sincerely wish MBC would stop making fun of themselves by clamping down on these writers’ pride and conscience – not any more.

When firing the writers, the leadership also shut down another investigative program focusing on protecting consumers’ rights against giant corporations. The reason for the company's overhaul, the leadership claims, was for the purposes of innovation. @saveourmbc begs differ and tweeted [ko] with the photo below:

MBC사거리에 걸린 현수막을 보니 참담합니다. 기자, 피디도 모자라 작가까지 말살하고 누굴 위한 쇄신을 할건지….

It's heartbreaking to watch this banner hung over the intersection in front of the MBC building [the banner reads “Revoke the layoffs of PD Notebook's writers, immediately!”]. What kind of innovation can they possibly achieve after killing off the show's producers, journalists and now even the writers?

Image of the banner. Twit Pic by @saveourmbc, used with permission.

And added another message [ko], after commenting on a famous comedian/talk show personality's tweet about the layoff:

Every PD Notebook writer, even the youngest, in total 14 people, were fired. RT @kimmiwha: When we make a TV show, it is none other than those writers who work so hard behind the scenes in such an hostile environment. But the leadership laid off the most vulnerable people who are at the bottom rung of the corporate ladder.

Kim Chul-jin, the head of the company's News and Documentary Production Division, has decided to shut down ‘Complaint Zero’ and replace it with ‘Black Box’. He wants to butcher up another signature investigative program as they have already done with PD Notebook. It is ridiculous to shut down the program which has contributed so much in defending the consumers’ rights for no apparent reasons.

The leadership has newly installed this extremely high quality, high-definition security camera to monitor their producers and journalists’ movements. They slashed down production costs, but upgraded their security cameras. They gave themselves a bonus increase, while threatening us that we will be fired when caught criticizing the company.